An Infinitely Adaptable Stew

I’ve chosen chicken and paprikary tomato here because it takes me straight back to my childhood, when this stew was so much a part of my mother’s repertoire that she often cooked a larger chicken than we could possibly eat just in order to have enough left over to make it. Beef, pork or lamb could be used instead. For any stew, trim the meat well of fat and gristle, tearing it into pieces at least ‘double-bite-sized’ so that they don’t fall apart while cooking.

• In a largish, heavy-based casserole, heat a little oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook gently, covered, for a few minutes, until softened but not coloured.
• Add the bay leaf or bouquet garni, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika and salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil, cover and leave to bubble very slowly either on the hob or in a moderate oven (around 180°C/Gas Mark 4)
• After 20-30 minutes, when the tomatoes have reduced to a good thickness, remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning and take out the bay leaf or bouquet garni.
• Add the chicken (but don’t break chunks of chicken flesh too small or you will get a mush of fibres rather than a chunky stew). Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until thoroughly heated through.
• Remove from the heat and stir in a great glug of soured cream or yogurt, swirling it round so that the colours are marbled like hand-made Venetian writing paper.
• Serve with steamed rice (half wild and half basmati is really nice here) and a crisp green salad or French beans.
• Alternatives

• Chicken ‘puttanesca’ Add some chopped anchovies to the onion, then 1-2 teaspoons of capers and/or a teacup of good black olives with the chicken. This is great with rice or potatoes and equally glorious on pasta.
• Chickpeas, cannellini beans or butterbeans The gutsy flavour of reduced tomatoes is always good balanced by the floury starchiness of these pulses. Add a drained 400g can of beans with the tomatoes.
• Tomato, chorizo and chickpeas Chickpeas are astonishingly good with chorizo or sausages and make a great stew with or without the addition of the chicken. Chop the chorizo into generous-sized pieces and cook it slowly with the onion until it starts to break apart and release its red oil – a good 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas with the tomatoes. Or use potatoes instead, peeled and diced to the same size as the chorizo chunks, and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Omit the soured cream or yogurt and serve with a good handful of grated Parmesan.
• A North African twist Use either chicken or pork and replace the canned tomatoes with enough chicken stock just to cover the meat. Add a handful of raisins, a finely sliced fennel bulb, the zest of an orange, a teaspoon of chilli flakes and a stick of cinnamon. Serve with rice and chopped mint.
• Root vegetables Leave out the meat entirely and substitute a similar quantity of root vegetables, such as potato, sweet potato, parsnip, carrot, pumpkin, turnip – all peeled and cut into chunks of about the same size so that they cook evenly. Add with the onion and garlic.
• Leftover lamb or beef Replace the chicken with diced leftover lamb or beef and use red onion instead of white at the start. Add ½ teaspoon of paprika to the onion once soft, cooking it for 30 seconds or so before adding the tomatoes. Leave these to reduce and thicken, then add white beans, chickpeas or leftover cooked potatoes. Add the meat 6 or 7 minutes before serving, along with a couple of good handfuls of baby spinach and/or a handful of coriander leaves.